1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a sheet feeding device that feeds sheets, and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet feeding device.
2. Related Art
Known sheet feeding devices that are incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes one or more sheet containers to feed a recording media such as a sheet image forming apparatus from a selected sheet container to a sheet conveying path for copying and printing.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP H10-297793-A discloses a sheet loading device that indicates an amount of remaining sheets loaded in a sheet container. The sheet loading device disclosed in JP H10-297793-A includes a sheet loading plate, a biasing member that biases the sheet loading plate to move according to the amount of loaded sheets, and a sheet amount indicator that moves in a vertical direction. The sheet loading plate, the biasing member, and a swing member are provided in a box-shaped container. The sheet amount indicator is provided to extend from a slit formed on a cover member that is detachably attached from a downstream side of the sheet container in a sheet feeding direction. One end of the swing member is in contact with a lower side of a loading surface of the sheet loading plate and the other end of the swing member is connected to the sheet amount indicator. As the sheet loading plate moves vertically according to the amount of loaded sheets, the swing member having one end of which in contact with the lower side of the loading surface of the sheet loading plate swings. In response to the movement, the sheet amount indicator connected to the other end of the swing member moves vertically. The vertical movement of the sheet amount indicator visually indicates the amount of sheets loaded on the sheet loading plate.
To reduce the cost of the sheet feeding device, the sheet amount indicator can be used in common to multiple sheet containers that have different maximum loadable amounts.
However, in the sheet feeding device (i.e., the sheet loading device) disclosed in JP H10-297793-A, the position of the edge of the sheet amount indicator varies between a sheet full state and a sheet empty state according to the maximum loadable amount of the sheet container. Therefore, the maximum movable amount (the maximum amplitude) of the edge of the sheet amount indicator that extends from the slit having a given length of the cover member changes depending on the maximum loadable amount of the sheet container. Accordingly, the sheet feeding device disclosed in JP H10-297793-A cannot determine the remaining amount of sheets loaded in the sheet container with accuracy depending on the position of the edge of the sheet amount indicator.